Varanasi wakes up with an Aarti on the ghats of Ganga, and sleeps with another scared Aarti. Varanasi is a mix of all. From the silent ghats, the rowing boats and the chaotic but colourful streets. It’s a city that calls devotees and travellers throughout the year.
Pulkit Gupta of Banaras Lanes says that, as per a local myth, the entire neighbourhood was once a part of a forest, hence the name, “van ras”. Varanasi’s narrow lane, capturing the heart of every visitor, has thousands of stories to tell. As Mark Twain rightly described the city, “Older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.
The city has a total of 84 ghats currently. The last four were recently constructed by the present government. While the most significant 80 ghats were made by different leaders from history, mainly from the Maratha dynasty. Pulkit explains that every King wanted a personal ghat, one that showed their style of architecture. The kings visited the ghats for special rituals, while a family of caretakers were left behind to take care of them.
This is the main reason why so many different festivals are celebrated in Varanasi every year. Banaras Lanes’s founder, Pulkit, rightly says that there are 366 festivals celebrated on the 365 days of the year.
The city’s centre of attraction, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, mentioned throughout history, is the centre of festivals and functions, attracting devotees and tourists across the world. A part of the 12 Jyotirlinga, the temple is as sacred and eternal as time. Banaras is also popular for being one of the four major centres for Buddhism, as the Buddha gave his first sermon here in Sarnath.
It’s not only famous for its tangible heritage, but also its intangible heritage and cuisine. The variety of street foods from the soft and sweet Malaiyo to crispy Aloo tikki in Banaras attracts many. Popularly known as the breakfast trinity, kachori, Sabri, and jalebi are everyone’s favourite.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Banaras is something one can only feel and live, and not explain.
